A Transparent Relationship With Food

posted on 7/07/2014 05:52:00 PM

Image Source: Google

I have been wanting to cook a three course meal for my husband since a long time. Somehow I did not get the time or have the patience to fulfill it. But today, on the anniversary of our first date, I decided to execute it. A three course meal, cooked by me with all my heart, for the man I love. I decided to keep it simple and effective and let the taste and the love do the talking.

Course One: Cream of tomato soup.

I have made this soup many times before, but today I wanted it to be more special. I boil the ripest of tomatoes and chillies with herbs that I chose carefully from my pantry. Basil goes very well with tomato and hence it was my first pick. After pureeing the mixture, I add in the cream to make a smooth red soup. I sieve it twice to make sure there are no lumps in it. I season it well, with salt and pepper and it is ready to serve. I wanted to serve it in style. So I remove the small glass Borosilkatoris from my crockery cabinet. A pinch of scattered basil on the base of the bowl, followed by a dollop of cream. I flatten the cream base slightly, just so that the basil looks like peeking green polka dots from the side of the bowl on the base of the crystal white. I then pour a generous ladle of the hot soup on top of this base. The bright red looks divine against the angelic white. Pleased with myself, I place some freshly toasted croutons on top and garnish with a final dollop of cream and a sprinkle of fresh basil. Course one is done.

Course Two: Coconut rice with mixed vegetable curry.

Since hubby is a vegetarian, I wanted him to have a veg curry that he would remember for ever. After chopping some fresh carrots, baby corn, potatoes, french beans and cauliflower, I make my magic masala paste. It is a paste of simple ingredients that is easily available at home. The paste is made smoother by adding a handful of cashew nuts into it. The aroma it was emitting was magical. I mix the vegetables with the masala and bring it to a boil. My initial thought was to serve this in my black melamine set, but I soon decided against it. Since the soup was served in transparent bowls, I wanted the theme of the dinner to be transparent too. Just like our relationship. I carefully empty the hot curry into an easy grip round casserole from Borosil and garnish it with a carrot flower in the middle surrounded by freshly chopped coriander! The aroma and the looks added to my motivation.

Image Source: meetville.com

The coconut rice was a simple thing to make and was done in under thirty minutes. Crackle some cumin in oil in a pan and add a bay leaf to it, along with some cloves and cinnamon. Then add freshly washed basmati rice and fry it in this aromatic oil. Once the rice turns pale, add equal amounts of water and coconut milk and cook until the rice is done. That's it! I line the base of a deep rectangular Borosil dish, with some deep fried onion slivers. The bitter sweetness of this when mixed with the mild spice of the rice is orgasmic. On top of this brown layer, I softly place the rice without cluttering it too much. And finally garnish it with some fried grated coconut and toasted cashew nuts. This dish looked splendid from every angle. The colors stood out from the sides and made my mouth water. But I had to wait for the husband to arrive.

Course Three: Strawberry Trifle

Although this sounds difficult, this was the easiest to make. And it needs no cooking what so ever. I had a strawberry vanilla swiss roll in the fridge that I had made a day earlier. I cut it into half an inch slices and arranged it around a Borosil fluted dish. The white and red swirls peeped out gracefully teasing the person who was to eat it. I fill the center of the bowl with some strawberries chopped and dusted with icing sugar. Some strawberries sat comfortably on the swiss roll slices making their presence felt against the abundance of the creamy sponge. I then add chunks of strawberry jelly along with some vodka jelly, to make this dessert above eighteen. I repeat these layers, and top off with a huge mound of whipped cream standing to soft peaks. The dazzling red amongst the glistening white was a sight to be captured and framed! The cream layer on top was garnished with chocolate shavings to peak the momentum.

After choosing a mild red wine as an accompaniment, I was done setting the table! It looked gorgeous as the food stood out from the glass bowls. The colors spoke to each other and danced in joy. The aromas tickled my senses and had my husband's eyes wide open when he saw the spread in front of him. I served the soup directly from the katoris and the rice on white plates, so that the bright curry stood out. The dessert was served in individual large katoris with extra chocolate sauce and strawberry coulis. The wine added to the high of the food and the love in my husband's eyes was the best reward of all.

Image Source: Google

They say that food needs to appeal to all the five senses. The sizzle must be heard, the beauty must be seen, the aroma must be smelt, the texture must be felt and the taste should be devoured. I had accomplished all of it with a few hours of work. My husband was the happiest as he tasted every morsel and gave a smile of joy and a content look of happiness. That's it. That's all I wanted.

Thank you Borosil for making my food look beautiful and setting the perfect mood!

About The Blog

Every written word in this space is my thoughts alone. Do not try to relate it to your life and create a scene in my circles. Believe me, if I wanted to write about someone who has wronged me, I'd write a story and kill that person off in the first line. As grotesquely as possible.
Stop making assumptions. But hey, if the shoe fits, lace up the bitch and wear it!